Family mourns teen, one of 27 children killed so far this year
By Christie Ileto
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PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Family and friends gathered to remember a young teen who was gunned down while sitting inside a vehicle in Philadelphia this week.
It happened Monday evening at 33rd and Oxford streets.
Savon Dixon, 16, was shot once in the head while in the car with his teenage cousin. Dixon later died. Police are still searching for the gunman.
“It was just unbelievable. Nobody could bear the news or believe it,” said Dixon’s aunt, Malikah Gregory during a vigil Wednesday night.
Called “NuNu” by his family, the rising senior and honor roll student at Preparatory Charter School had recently taken the SATs and had dreams of going to college.
“That’s what made him so determined. Like ya’ll going to know NuNu– like I’m going to stand out,” said his mother Wadyia Gregory. According to the Philadelphia Police Department, there have been 108 children under the age of 18 shot just this year. Twenty-seven of those victims have died to date. In 2020, a total of 73 children were shot and nine of those victims were killed.
Last week, two 10-year-olds were accidentally shot while playing with a firearm, according to police.
Pastor Carl Day and the teens he mentors have hit the streets to distribute gun locks to help combat the problem. “We’re not going to be oblivious or blind to the fact that guns are around, but we need to make sure those children are safe if weapons are in those homes,” said Day.
“There’s no way to prepare yourself for something like this to happen, but it’s happening too often,” said Gregory of the growing violence. “It’s like, where does it end? When is it going to stop? Nobody’s safe really.”
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